Ingredients for a common winter time auto repair recipe: brake pads, brake rotors, more salt, more corrosion and more rust. The ending result, brake pulsation and premature brake failure. If you asked, "why are my brakes pulsating?" or maybe asked google, "why are my brakes pulsating?" then let our expert mechanics answer that for you. In winter driving conditions where excessive salting is common, brake pads commonly rust into place in their sliding brackets. As a result, the brake pads do not wear evenly. Sometimes half the pad contacts, a little bit contacts, sometimes not at all (such as the pictured brake rotor). Due to the minimized surface area of the brake pad actually working to stop the vehicle is now working harder, it creates extra heat. Too much heat distorts the brake rotor leading to pulsation. Sometimes the brake rotor rusts up into the area that the brake pad is riding on causing a pulsation from riding on an uneven surface. New York State Inspection requirements require at least 50% of the brake rotor making contact with the brake pad. However, the brake rotors are not allowing to pulsate for inspection and have tolerances that need to be met. The proper ending repair in our climate is replacement of the brake pads and rotors. If you have questions about brakes, calipers, pads and rotors, then give us a call. ​

​Second opinions are important, especially when you are considering spending a good amount of money on auto repairs. Often times we get asked if a car is worth putting money into. This was the case with a first time customer's vehicle. Another shop quoted thousands of dollars for repairs to make their car road legal after performing a new york state inspection. They also stated it would be good for a couple more years. Upon getting the vehicle in the shop and on a lift, the cars longevity became clear. Indeed, it needed thousands to become road legal; however, the structural integrity of it was compromised. We do not always like to have first time meetings that are heart to heart, but we do them when it is necessary. Unfortunately this vehicle's time has come to be put to rest. Thankfully the customer understands that for their own safety and financial well being that it is time to find new wheels. 

On a side note, I still see lots of blue inspection stickers on cars driving by. If your inspection sticker is the color blue, those are no longer legal. 

Are you finding yourself slipping and sliding in the snow? Not every "all-season" tire is actually rated for all weather, including snow. The requirements to be considered all-season tires are not much since other states don't get snow in winter months. There are strict requirements in order to become a certified snow tire. Look for the snowflake emblem on the sidewall of your tire. That emblem means that model tire has met the federal requirements to be considered a snow tire. If you don't have that emblem, then your tires do not meet requirements to be considered a snow tire. This can explain why you are slipping and sliding. If you have questions, then please call. ​

Hello everyone! As January approaches, I wanted to issue a reminder that if you have a blue inspection sticker on your  vehicle it will no longer be the correct color for the coming year. The month of expiration is printed on the sticker as well. The attached example is overdue by 2 months as it is dated October. Please keep in mind that a blue inspection sticker will stick out to a police officer in comparison to the gray stickers that were issued in 2025. 

New york state inspection requirements involve inspecting the brake system, parking brake, tires, steering, suspension, front end chassis/frame, lighting, glass, window tint, wipers, horn, seat belts and fuel leaks. It also involves emission testing that is simply no check engine light on, no current codes and emission monitors complete. Each vehicle is plugged into a DMV inspection computer to verify that the emissions are good at the time of inspection. 

If you have questions about NYS requirements, then please call and ask. I would be happy to go over the pass / fail requirements so you can understand them. 

We do inspections based upon appointment. Please call us to set up an appointment. 

Happy Holidays everyone! I am writing his educational post on a question I am answering many times a day. So, I am hoping when you google, ask bixby or your favorite AI assistant this answer will come up. I have been asked many times lately, "What is the difference between all season radial tires and all weather tires?" 

To begin to answer this question, we need to establish a couple key distinctions between all season and all weather. All season tires do not meet federal requirements to be a "snow tire". All-Weather Tires do meet federal qualifications to be snow tires. Seasons in the lower 50 states and out west do not have the same winter driving conditions that we have in the northeast and mid west. Winter in Florida does not mean that there will be snow and the same weather. The term "all season" can apply to almost any tire that has the bare minimum requirements. To meet federal requirements to be a "snow tire", a tire is actually matched up against a designated snow tire and it must outperform against that tire. The tread compound is also different as well as the tread design. Snow tires are a softer compound for better traction and have block style tread patterns, where as all season tend to be a harder compound for longevity and more tight tread patterns with curvaceous siping that helps with water disbursement and quiet ride. All weather tires are a hybrid of snow tires and all season radial tires. They have a compound that is between a harder all season and softer snow tires. Their tread patterns tend to be a bit more blocky; however, they are still quieter than a snow tire and will last longer.

Ultimately when choosing which tires to purchase if you live in the northeast USA, all weather is the most desired if you plan on not changing out to a designated snow tire. This gives peace of mind in knowing that you have a tire that can handle snowy driving conditions. A full designated snow tire will always perform best on snow and ice; however, you will want to switch them for an all season/summer tire as snow tires will wear down faster in the summer time due to the heat and softer compound. 

If you have questions about tires, then please give us a call. We are always happy to help and educate so you can make the best decision for yourself.

- Clint




tags: #educational #allweathertires #allseasontires #allweather #education #falken #goodyear #michelin #nokian #snowtires #autoexpert #automotiveexpert #tireexpert #tirereplacement #tirerepair

We deal with a large variety of automotive issues at the shop. Some issues such as tire patches are simple and daily occurrences. Sometimes we take on classic cars that need regular repair and overhaul. Sometimes we take on "headaches" that other shops just could not figure out. This is a story about one of those times. 

We recently had in a 10 year old Chevrolet Colorado, 4 cylinder and four-wheel drive. It had been throwing lean condition codes, this means that the engine was getting too much unregulated air into the engine. As a result, the engine computer was forcing the injectors to stay open longer causing gas milage to plummet. Upon looking under the hood, it appeared to have had the "throw a part at it and see if fixes it kind of look". After looking at the scan data, the computer indeed displayed to us it was lean, the mass air flow sensor was reading lower than expected. This is likely due to a component failing causing air not seen by the mass air flow sensor to enter the engine. The air/fuel sensor (oxygen sensor) sees the excess after combustion and then the computer adds more fuel to the engine until it sees a proper mixture at the oxygen sensor in the exhaust. 

So how do we find air entering the engine? We check obvious components such as intake tubes and hoses for cracks and holes. If nothing is obvious, then it is best to hook up a smoke machine and fill the intake with smoke. Smoke machines are primarily used for fuel and evaporative emission leaks; however, they can be used for situations such as these. Expert technicians know that tools can always be used for more than 1 situation. The smoke machine showed us the leak. Within minutes, the air intake resonator box was smoking out of the seam.  The resonator box appeared in physical good health; however, it clearly was not. 

Unfortunately, the air resonator box was not available anymore as GM had discontinued it and it is not a commonly sold part by a junkyard. Our only choice of repair was to physically seal the box with adhesive and a plastic weld compound. After resealing the box, engine fuel trims came back to normal. The check engine light issue was resolved. The truck could then pass inspection and gas mileage was restored to normal. 

We wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving holiday! May it be filled with love, smiles and great times!

- The Ferrels

Happy November everyone! If you are planning on taking a thanksgiving trip or have family coming in, then I have a couple quick checks for everyone to do before hitting the road. Nothing ruins a holiday more than car trouble on the trip.
1st: Check your air pressures, if that TPMS light is on, stop down and get those tires and sensors checked. Driving on low air pressures can lead to tire failure. 
2nd: Check your headlights, tail lights and brake lights. Getting pulled over and ticketed by an officer is another way to ruin a holiday trip. Light checks only take a couple minutes and we do them as a courtesy. 
3rd: Check the engine oil and coolant levels. Make sure the oil level is between the hash marks on the dipstick. Coolant tanks/reservoirs have hot and cold lines. If the engine is cold the level should be on the cold line. If the engine has been running, then the level should be on the hot level. 
Lastly, if you have a clunking or brake noise, then get it checked out. Procrastinating a repair can result in a more expensive repair if a component fails on the road. Even for the simplicity of having peace of mind, it is best to know what is going on versus praying and hoping for the best.

If you need any help on a trip check, don't hesitate to call and ask for help.

- Clinton Ferrel 

Welcome to Autumn and cooler weather. I have started to receive more calls than normal pertaining to TPMS lights coming on. Air pressure in tires decrease in cold temperature and expand in hot temperature. This is a normal law of physics. If your light has come on, just give us a call and we can check the TPMS sensors and the air pressures on a quick stop down. I do not charge for checking air pressures. It is important though to maintain proper air pressure for tire wear and gas milage. Typically, we have to add some air pressures when temperatures get around 40 to 50 degrees and also when it gets colder into the 20s for winter.  So if your TPMS light comes on, give me a call and/or stop down. 

​- Clint 

Happy Autumn everyone!

I hope everyone has had a fun, exciting and adventurous summer! We have been busy here at the shop, regularly being booked out by about a week. Currently we are booking only several days out as people get adjusted to school schedules. 

I have hired an additional mechanic to help with our workload and prepare for when Matt goes out on paternity leave. It may seem hard to believe but Matt has been with us at the garage almost 6 years now. We are excited for him to expand his family and also expand our family here at the garage. 

As we approach the colder weather, you may find your tire pressure light coming on. This is normal as air pressures shrink with cold weather. Simply give us a call or come down and we can put air in your tires. We do not charge for the air pressure check. Resetting TPMS lights can be as simple as a reset through the instrument cluster. Other resets may require some driving or a tool for resetting. We can handle that and discuss it as every car has a different method for the tpms reset procedure. 

Also, it will be time to check your heater. Make sure hot air is coming out of the ducts. Coolant level should be checked as well as its condition to make sure it can handle winter temperatures and not freeze. 

Please reach out to us if you have questions about maintenance for this upcoming winter. Let our expertise help answer your questions!